Kyle returns home to take care of his father who has recently had a stroke and needs his help. After leaving his hometown a few years back abruptly, he is not looking forward to seeing his family, friends and co-workers he left behind…including his ex wife and high school love Casey. They all suffered a major loss together and you watch all the drama and awkwardness of this ride as he returns and tries to put/piece everything back together.

I’ve read all of Tracey’s books and have no issues with her writing! It was well told, just not for me. This one was getting the best reviews so I was so excited! I enjoy family dramas that build, have depth and dive into deeper topics but this one just fell flat. It was so long and drawn out I was just bored and ready for it to be over. I just need people to talk to each other…

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was invested in these characters from the opening pages until the very end. This is full of community, love, commitment and hope. I felt every emotion and loved it all.

This book wrecked me and put me back together again. I found myself guessing what was going to happen right before it did and I wanted to close my eyes or put the book down. It was so beautifully written and perfectly jumps back and forth between timelines and POVs. I loved this story and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. 😊

When Kyle McCray's dad suffers a stroke, he returns, after a few years' absence, to the tiny town he grew up in to care for him. His return means Kyle is forced to face everything and everyone he suddenly abandoned, including his then-wife, Casey, who also spent his time away trying to get over their shared, heartbreaking past.
This was really engaging - sad and touching, without being overly sentimental.
Thanks to #netgalley and #celadonbooks for this #arc of #whathappenedtothemccrays by #traceylange in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Lange since her debut, We are the Brennans. She does such an amazing job with family drama. There’s just enough it keeps you going but never veers into the too much category. I know this book might not hit as well for some people considering the very heavy subject matter but I absolutely loved this one. The journey this book takes through grief and pain to come out into the light at the end really resonated with me. Anyone who has been in this pain can feel and empathize with the characters in this book and it will speak to your healing heart.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAYS by Tracey Lange had all the feels. Broke my heart and healed it.
An intense look at high school sweethearts, they're married for 15 years until tragedy separates them. Their separation is told from both points of view. I became very invested in the characters and their stories.

I recommend this book; it was not an edge of your chair read, it was painful, it was sweet, it is life, laid out in print.

In What Happened to the McCrays?, author Tracey Lange weaves a wonderful story of family and second chances.

Kyle and Casey McCray were high school sweethearts who were together for twenty-one years and married for sixteen years. But that all changed two and half years ago when Kyle walked away from their marriage.

Kyle has been living in Spokane, Washington and working as a mechanic when he receives a call that his dad is in the hospital after having a stroke. Kyle knows it's time to come home to Potsdam, NY and face the past and seek redemption.

Casey has been trying to move on with her life since the divorce was finalized. She's a sixth-grade social studies teacher and also manages the town's local junior hockey program. But there is a sadness that she deals with every day.

As Kyle and Casey's story unfolds, they have to deal with their past, and hopefully rediscover the true meaning of love, friendship, and family.

In What Happened to the McCrays?, author Tracey Lange easily captivates her readers' attention with this beautifully written tale that engages them to follow along as Kyle and Casey's story unfolds with a strong emotional pull. There is plenty of drama, long-held secrets, trials and tribulations, life challenges, and family issues that they have to resolve. The story is told in the alternating past and present timeline, and the reader is taken on an emotional roller coaster ride and will experience the full gamut of emotions when the reason behind the end of Kyle and Casey's marriage is revealed. You can't help but hope that Kyle and Casey can put the trauma of their past behind them and hopefully rediscover the love they once shared.

What Happened to the McCrays? is a compelling story about the resilience of family and community, especially through loss, grief, redemption, love, and second chances.

Disclaimer: I purchased a hardcover copy of the book via my subscription with Book Of The Month and also received an ARC copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2025/02/what-happened-to-mccrays-by-tracey.html

"What Happened to the McCrays" was a deviation from my normal romance books and exactly what I needed. The complexity of the characters, the humanity of them created a story that had me sucked in from the start. This was my first book by Tracey Lange, but I will for sure be checking out the backlist. Thank you Caledon Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Tracey Lange will also be an auto-buy author for me. Her writing and stories are just wonderful! What Happened to the McCrays? is no exception. I was immediately drawn into the story. Kyle and Casey went through so much and there was a lot to be resolved. Saying too much would spoil this fantastic story. Definitely get this on your to-be-read shelf!

Have you ever just rooted for strangers to win? That was this book for me. Sometimes the best way forward is going through it together.

Well told story about family tragedy and guilt. Tracey Lange does a great job talking about families and relationships.
An author I will continue to follow.

In the end, this book just isn’t for me, but I do think there are readers who will love it. If you were a fan of the TV show This Is Us or enjoy an emotionally wrenching story, this is for you. I had no issues with the writing style, plotting, or characters, but as soon as I realized why the marriage at the center must have ended, I was no longer interested in reading. Once my hunch was confirmed, I DNFed at 40%.

Content warning for child loss.

I love Tracey Lange's books and have read all of them. What Happened to the McCrays is not my favorite but it was very good. This dual timeline story about family, both inherited and found, has secrets abound, likeable characters with relateable problems. I suggest you read any or all Tracey
Lange novels.

Tracy finds a way to slip you into another small town with character development that is detailed without being overbearing. Casey and Kyle have loved each other from the moment they stared at each other over a bandaid. They have felt sorrows both together and with their families, and their story is one that will engage you from the beginning wondering what in fact happened to the McCrays? Casey gives her everything to every single person in that town, both child and adult, while leaving very little for herself. Kyle wants nothing but to give his everything to Casey, and have her lean on him in the same way. This story will grip you, make you feel alive, possibly shed a tear, release a laugh, drum up your own histories, and fall in love with the characters. (If you haven’t read her other 2 books, they are also must reads!)
4.5/5 stars TW: suicidal ideations

I loved this novel...I mean I REALLY loved it. Set in upstate New York in a working class small town, a man comes back to town when his father has a medical crisis. Unfortunately, he is still in love with his ex-wife. Such great character development and a very beautiful portrayal of the community in this small town, it is also heartbreaking.

Casey and Kyle have been in love since they were teenagers, but when Kyle leaves their small town abruptly, their marriage is shattered. Or did it start before that? What could have possibly happened that would make the town sweethearts part ways so suddenly? When Kyle returns to the small upstate town of Potsdam, NY after his father suffers a stroke, Casey and Kyle are thrust into each other's orbits once again and have to finally face their demons head on.

This heartbreaking, tear-inducing story is Tracey Lange at her best! She has such a gift for creating deeply flawed but relatable characters that you can't help but root for, even when they are making the dumbest mistakes imaginable and you want to shake them. Kyle and Casey have been through the ringer, both separately as children, and together as adults, and always supported each other, until someone so tragic happens that they can't seem to get past. (It's hard to say much more than that without giving it away!) I loved the small town setting and the middle school hockey team that Casey helps out with and Kyle helps to coach later on was so sweet and a great side-plot. Ultimately this story was about two families becoming one and how that bond can both help and hinder its inhabitants. This was such an emotional, gripping book that made me want to keep reading long past my bedtime, but is also worth savoring.

Check the trigger warnings!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Well. I SOBBED during my entire last hour of reading this heart-wrenching novel. Full on SOBBED at 4:30 am when I was reading because I couldn't sleep.

Trigger warnings for suicide attempts and the death of a young child.

Lange is an amazing writer. You want to live in her stories. I could not put this down. Kyle is the estranged ex-husband of Casey, who still lives across the street from his father. Kyle has to come home to care for his father after a couple of years away from their small town. This novel follows the two characters as they navigate grief and healing.

Kyle McCray left his hometown of Potsdam, NY and severed ties to his family. But when he learns his father has had a stroke, he heads back from the West Coast to the place he grew up. His return isn’t an easy one. Less than three years earlier, he had abruptly taken off, abandoning his wife of 16 years, his thriving business and all his friends. Now he must face his past while trying to help his father recover.

Kyle and his former wife Casey can’t help but re-connect since she has been helping care for Kyle’s dad since he fell ill. She is a teacher, the manager of the middle school hockey team and the one who seems to keep everything running smoothly. But Casey has problems of her own that underly her appearance of stability. When Kyle was young he had been a star hockey player and upon his return, his old coach wants him to help with the boys’ team. Since he has time on his hands, Kyle agrees, despite it bringing him together with his ex-wife who’s currently the team manager.

From the very first scene we learn that Kyle is a good guy. Still, his sudden departure has baffled many in the small town and he isn’t sure how to explain his actions to them. Readers also wonder about why he left and what caused his strained relationship with his wife.

Lange has a talent for writing a story that flows beautifully and carries readers along on her journey. She lets her characters endear themselves through their frailties and foibles. We root for them to cope with their awkward and stressful relationships. Their problems unfold slowly and old tensions are revealed. The story is moving and touching as we learn about the circumstances of the demise of Kyle’s and Casey’s marriage. The answers we all seek are stated in the title and are squarely at the at the heart of the novel. One can’t help becoming invested in the character's interactions and the questions at the root of their estrangement. A remarkable and insightful novel by a talented writer.

This book is a heartwrenching, grab the tissues, 5 star read for me. Tracey Lange is truly a genius with writing about family dynamics.

What Happened to the McCrays follows Kyle and Casey before, during and after their divorce. Kyle returns home two years later to care for his dad who suffered a stroke.

This book is heart wrenching but filled with joy. With the POV of Kyle and Casey you hear both sides to their love and loss. My momma heart ached reading this. Tracey writes about family relation being hard and the beauty of healing.

Thank you MacMillian Audio and Celadon books for this advanced reader copy.

Tracey Lange is one of my favorite authors! I love her books, particularly the way she develops the characters. What Happened to the McCrays is an excellent book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters Casey, Kyle, Wyatt, and many others. The story is tough and shows how tragedies can impact entire communities. Well written and I’m ready for Tracey’s next book. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read.